The Final Stretch of NaNoWriMo

Word count: 37, 198

The Winner’s Circle. The adoring fans delight in the triumphant victory as they surround the winner. Cheers and confetti rain down, while the champion embraces their loved ones, accept gifts and gracefully bows to the acclaim. The glory to win NaNoWriMo, unfortunately, was not mine this year.

Obstacles of work, holidays, a stomach virus, and exhaustion proved far more difficult than I anticipated. My typing and imagination stalled at 37,000 words and I bowed my head in defeat as the clock ticked closer and closer to 11:59 pm.

An admirable attempt I think. I pushed myself to write a novel and I’m almost finished. First chapter tie down many writers for weeks, while I am riding the wave of the rising action about to clumsily type the climax and conclusion. In one month, I have come so far as a writer and now hold an almost complete first draft in my hands, soon to be revised.

The pride I feel is comparable to the winners. What I learned about my strength and writing capabilities and what this insane challenge holds in store for its participants only makes victory possible next year.

I would like to take this moment (I prepared an acceptance speech) to thank everyone who supported me through this confounding experience, urged me to continue writing when I wanted to give up, sat with me in Borders furiously typing, and dispensed sage advice. Knowing how many people stood behind me brings tears of happiness. As my token of appreciation, my first novel will be dedicated to you. Thank you.

Comments

Alex Villasante said…
I'm thinking you rather kicked ass anyway. I always thought that NaNo should award 'almost-wins' to everyone who tried their damnedest, like you. I tried for YEARS, never winning until this year and you know, while I'm proud of it, I don't think it made that much difference. It's the participating that lifted me out of myself and put the focus where I wish it always was - on my writing life. So again, YAY LAURA! You did awesome.
Alex
December 6, 2010 at 1:28 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

L is for Location, Location, Location

Image
Source Readers look to novels to escape reality. An author’s words take them to distant lands. But a well-described location can do more than just take the reader on a trip away from home. It plays an important role in creating atmosphere and describing characters. The strength of location in a story transforms the setting into another character. Characters and setting rely heavily on one another not only to create images in the minds of readers, but also to describe each other.  A character reveals information about a setting. Their traits lead them to specific towns, cities, bars, schools, etc. A well-developed character personality can create the milieu. An uptight individual probably lives in a very neat and organized apartment. A character concerned with the environment might have a vegetable garden planted in the back with a recycling bin and compost heap. A young, single girl might feel stuck in family-oriented suburbia. Now, the...
Read more

Insecure Writer's Support Group:Overwhelmed

Image
Source My road trip to Boston at the end of August arrived just in time to relieve me from the constant head banging on the wall between me and my writing, blogging and freelance career. The permanent knot on my forehead, bald patches and a jaw that clicks every time I open my mouth has transformed me into a monster you might catch in the dark alleyways of Gotham City. I overdosed on advice in writing magazines, on writing-related websites and blogs. If you peek through the windows, you catch me wandering around the house strung out, too jittery to sit down at my laptop. As an information junkie, I hoarded writing techniques, strategies and prompts. I shoved them into every available space in my writing toolbox, reminding me of an overly prepared-style of packing. Overstuffed. I would sit on the lid to force it shut if it weren’t for the motivational quotes spilling over the sides keeping me from latching the damn thing. Then I come across an article contradicting th...
Read more

E is for Erasure Poetry

Image
rattle.com April is National Poetry Month . So, I thought I'd give  erasure poetry  a try. I chose an article about dating and race in The Philadelphia Inquirer .  Reading through the article, I underlined words that caught my eye. Then, I created a poem and title from my found words. Unfortunately, it was easier to type the words than scan the article. Enjoy! Talk About Dating First contact          Attitudes affect the messages Cut off from the real world          See the imbalance Healthy partners          Work together, no exclusions
Read more